The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-11-24

IhE seSSiOn OF the county Doaru lnlS
morning was particularly interesting be-
cause of two resolutions introduced by
members and supported by the persons
introducing them. The first was by Fred
Schuette, providing for raising by taxa
| ton $4,000 to purchase railroad bonds
for which the. county is responsible and
which will be due in 1890. The resolu-
ton provided for the appointment of a
committee to make the purchase or to
invest the funds so as to be available with
| accrued interest when the bonds become
due. Mr.. Schuette spoke for about tif-
teen minutes on the resolution in a most
effective manner. The bonds, he stated,
can be purchased at 107, which would be
paying only one years interest in advance
and saving the interest for the two sue
ceedlng years. The amount paid in in
terest up to the present is far in excess
of the original debt, and if interest was
compounded, the interest paid would
double the amount of the bonds. This
10 DGN SOC1loliS llOII1 1t DOl4t VI
view. The city is purchasing bonds
steadily and when the time for payment
of all becomes due it will be in possession
of one half the bonds it issued and have
saved considerable interest beside. If
the county shows a disposition to meet
its obligations promptly it will be able to
refund its debt at lower rate of inter
est than if it showed hesitancy in making
payments. The national government has
refunded and redeemed interest from 7
per cent. to B per cent. because it had
made provision to meet every obligation
as it came due and thus inspired conf
dence. Mr.. Schuette's resolution will
likely be adopted.
Mr.. Ostenfeldt's resolution was to au-
thorize the finance committee to recon-
mend the levy of tax of one-ffth of one
mill on the taxable property of the coun-
ty, for the support of INDECENT old SOL
diers. He spoke well on his resolution
and dwelt at length upon the unsatisfac-
tory character of the pension laws which
did not permit the granting of pensions
with that degree of facility which the
claims OF old soldiers made proper.
A hasty calculation shows that Mr.
Ostenfeldt's resolution would impose q
tax of $1,000 upon the county for the
benefit of INDECENT old soldiers. From a
synopsis of Commissioner Blacks report
published elsewhere the people may
judge of the degree of ingratitude mani
Tested by the general government to its
defenders. There are national soldiers
homes and the last legislature also pro-
vlded for the location of state soldiers
home. VIII Mr.. OstenfeIdt be kind
enough, when further supporting his
resolution, to cite a single case i'll the
county Of an old soldier in INDECENT cir
cumstances justifying the raising by the
county OF $4,000 to relieve his distress.
1t is the duty of the county to relieve
distress, but the county board will hardly
be acting honestly as Representatives to
levy tax on idle sentiment without a
single fact to sustain It. There are few
men IN the county who did good service
as soldiers who are in degree incapaci-
tated by reason of that service to perform
the labor they naturally should, and who
do not receive pensions. But these men
would Indignantly refuse to accept aid
from the county. The pension depart
ment has applied to every chairman in
the county to give information respecting
soldiers in need of assistance Mr.. Os-
tenfeldt will act wisely in withdrawing
his resolution and withhold it until there
is reason for its adoption.
The committee on illegal assessments,
through its chairman, Mr. johnson, re-
ported, as did also the county treasurer,
county clerk, district attorney and land
commissioners. All were adopted. A
resolution by Mr.. Johnson of Gibson
appointing official papers was referred
Messrs. Fred Schuette and Peter John
ston stoke at some length upon the adj
visibility of enlarging the farm of the
county asylum. The board adjourned
until A. NJ. Friday morning.